As I’ve browsed the internet these past two days, I’m struck by the number of people who are so discouraged by Obama’s re-election, that they are ready to just give up. Some have vowed to turn off the news and become an uninformed voter, because it would just be easier. Some talked about quitting their jobs and going on food stamps and welfare. It’s sad to think that any American sees that as a better option.

While I’m sure many of those discouraged voters are just venting and have no real intention of giving up, it’s clear that many feel their efforts just didn’t matter this time around. But we cannot give up. That’s what they want us to do. We cannot lose focus on the real problem. It’s about more than just Barack Obama. It’s about our liberty. It’s about the Constitution. It’s about the country we’re leaving for our children and grandchildren. We’re the world’s last best hope. We’re that shining city on the hill. This is America, the greatest country in the world. Too many men have fought and died to keep this country free, and we can NOT let them die in vain.

Why did we lose? Did the Democrats have better ideas? Did they have a better message? Do they have stronger values? No. They campaigned on fear, not ideas. Their message was full of lies and misinformation. They made false claims about Mitt Romney’s character. They painted him to be a liar, tax cheat, and an uncaring, disconnected rich man who was only out to help the wealthiest Americans. They scared women into believing that Republicans want to take away health care and contraceptives. They scared seniors into thinking Republicans were going to take away their social security and Medicare benefits. They scared young people into thinking Republicans would take away their opportunities for a good education. They used the same sorry scare tactics they use EVERY election. We know those things couldn’t be further from the truth, but the uninformed voters believe it. The news has been so filtered, that unless you’re getting your news from Fox, conservative talk radio, or conservative blogs, you’re just not getting the truth. The main stream media no longer breaks the news…..it shapes the news. They decide what to report, based on which stories will either help the Democrat or hurt the Republican. Period. And Obama just had a better ground game. Despite the decline in enthusiasm for Obama, his campaign got people to the polls.

So what now? We press on. We look toward 2014, and we find a way to articulate our message in a clearer way. We don’t change our core principles….we will never win by changing who we are. We find a way to make people understand who we are, and why our ideas are the right ideas. We find a way to make them understand how this country can become more prosperous through lower taxes and less government, and that smaller government is a more effective government.

Democrats pander by dividing the country into voting blocs. We are all Americans. We should not be put into boxes according to color, gender or class. That’s not the American way of doing things. We shouldn’t appeal to women and minorities by promising them things we can’t deliver or by changing our principles. We should appeal to them by setting the example. The Republican party has not been able to shake the stereotype of being the party of rich white men. It couldn’t be further from the truth, yet it’s how we are perceived. We have a very diverse group of strong conservative leaders from all backgrounds. We have Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Marsha Blackburn, Nikki Haley, Mia Love, Allen West, Ted Cruz and Bobby Jindal, just to name a few. But Democrats have effectively kept us in a box, and we often just assume that we cannot get the black or Hispanic votes. We can. We just aren’t trying hard enough.

2014 is our next goal. We have 20 Democrat senators to unseat, and 13 Republican seats to defend. We need to retain the House. We have gubernatorial seats to replace and defend. This is no time for discouragement and defeat….we still have work to do.